Author Archives: Panda in Chief

About Panda in Chief

Anne Belov paints, writes, makes prints, and is the founder of The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire. You can find her paintings at the Rob Schouten Gallery and Fountainhead Gallery, her cartoons on The Panda Chronicles, and her new book here. She also writes regularly for The Whidbey Life Magazine, a free journal of art and culture on Whidbey Island. Her main regret in life is that there is no MacArthur Grant for Panda Satire.

Pandas in Science

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If pandas know anything, they know about science, so today Fabulous Furry Friday is very pleased to present Pandas in Science or, everything you wanted to know, but want to know the wrong information!

We start our encore presentation with a cartoon that was inspired by a real story about pandas, and also contributed to this past Wednesday’s cartoon!

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is that handsome panda I see before me?

And one of my all time favorites, a news story about how an animal’s abstract patterning can increase the likelihood of becoming a successful predator.

No nonsense to be found here!

And if we take the way-back machine to a couple of our early explorations of the conjunction of pandas and science, we have this in depth interpretation of our carbon foot print:

are you SURE it’s not “carbonated”?

well, what if I….

but…WeREndangered!

Hmmm…I hope these cartoons don’t get out. Pinky may have some additional ammunition in the next debate. Don’t tell, ‘kay?

Be the Bear and have a Fabulous Furry Friday!
Bob T Panda

Through the Looking Glass

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Over the past couple of months, the friends of Bubba (and Pinky! Don’t forget Pinky!!!!!) have been posting many adorable photos of our nation’s littlest panda as he explores the great outdoors. Recently (Linda G?) someone posted at photo of him admiring his reflection in one of the viewing windows, which naturally inspired this ‘toon.

My! You are quite the good looking fellow!

Meanwhile, back at The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire Headquarters, I am hard at work on my graphic novel, tentatively titled The PandyLand Chronicles: The Case of the Picturesque Panda. When a mysterious panda enters the office of Inspector Panda, with a tale of late 19th century Parisian pandas, he must rely on his clever assistant Wu to help sort truth from fiction. Especially when it comes to the wily Babette de Panda. Was her great great great great great great grandmama truly the most sought after painters’ model of the Paris Impressionists? Or does Babette have a more sinister reason for wanting to find this painting? Think of The Maltese Falcon, except with pandas.

As those who have been following along for a while know, this story started out as a long cartoon with multiple episodes, starring Inspector Panda. As I am now trying to convert it into a graphic novel, geared toward middle grade readers, there have been many changes. The story now focuses more on the junior pandas, it is much longer, and I am doing illustrations in color. I really have no idea how long this will take me to complete, but you can find the news here as its path carries on and the drawings develop. Most enticing is that it gives me the opportunity to do even more panda versions of famous Impressionist paintings, and what could be wrong with that? (Note to Art Historians: please don’t answer this question.)

Till next time,
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

Fun with Science

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Oh, how Mehitabel tries to run a tight ship over at Zoonooz, but somehow someone (usually a panda, go figure!) manages to disrupt her carefully laid out plans. Can you blame Bob for wanting to have a little fun with science?

Meanwhile, I am trying to get over some really nasty crud that I picked up coming home from Panda Fest in Pandiego, and am trying not to spray anything disgusting into my keyboard. Was that TMI? Sorry, but today’s cartoon just has me thinking gross thoughts!

Well, it is kind of funny, isn’t it?

And speaking of inappropriate behavior, (Who was? Was that you?) Princess Pinky has been up to her old tricks, with more to come. We’ll have a new ‘toon starring Bubba (And Pinky!!!!!!!) coming your way on Wednesday, and I will be sending out my first newsletter in a very long time this week. It will reveal the secret page and password thereto, that tells the story of my rise (or descent, depending on your point of view) into the world of panda satire. This is the transcript- with many, many pictures- for the talk I gave to the 2016 Pandamonium Convention which was held last weekend at the San Diego Zoo. Yes, Virginia, there IS a panda convention.

So, if you would like to join my mailing list for my relatively infrequent newsletters, you can sign up with the second sign-up form at the top of the right-hand column. (The first one is to get new posts automatically emailed to you as they come out 3 times a week). I actually have come up with a bit of a plan for future newsletters that you might find interesting. Or maybe not. Anyway, it is very easy to unsubscribe as well as subscribe, and we pinky-promise not to post your email address in any public bathrooms, or share it with any other entity.

And because it is Easter….

What’s Black and White and carries cuppycakes in a basket?

A tiskitt a taskitt , a great big wheelie basket!

Be the bear,
Bob T. panda

Fabulous Furry Wu-Day!

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Having just returned from the Panda fest at the Pandiego Zoo, I just had to share a few more ‘toons about the very wonderful Wu Self for fabulous Furry Wu-Day! As a side note, when I was there at the zoo, I gave a copy of The Book of Wu to the panda keepers and narrators, and when they looked at it, they were amazed that someone had written stories about Wu. Pretty cool, huh?

So, here are more ‘toons, celebrating the ever popular Mr. Wu!

“Wu calls his dance, ‘Ode to a Weaf’ “

An explorer’s work is never done.

Don’t you love “rear shots” of baby pandas?

Whatever could be in the box the panda kindergarten is delivering to Mr. Wu?

Of course, if you want to read all the Mr. wu stories, you know the drill! Buy my book! Huzzah! Remember, it’s book 4 of The Panda Chronicles: The Book of Wu; Available at Amazon!

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

Pinky and Bob

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Okay, politico fans! Today Pinky and Bob go panda-a-pando on the debate stage. I can hardly wait!

But first, I must report on last weekend’s Pandamonium 2016 Panda Convention which took place at the San Diego Zoo. Panda fans from around the world (literally) gathered in San Diego (or as we like to call it: Pandiego) to greet old friends, meet new friends, and most of all, visit the pandas at the SDZ. Mr. Wu was in rare form, eating, sleeping, rushing around wildly (Note to Wu: watch your panda nip intake!) and some of us who indulged in the Early Morning with Pandas tour even got to see Gao Gao, who although getting up in years, still let it be known that he is the bear.

Panda fans came to Pandiego from Singapore, Australia, Canada, and Switzerland. They came from New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, Washington state, Florida, and Arizona, in addition to those from California. In case you are counting along on your fingers, that’s FIVE countries and FOUR continents. And…ahem…they also came to hear yours truly speak about the history (well, my history, anyway) of panda satire and how The Panda Chronicles came to be.

If you had to miss the fun in Pandiego, you can still read the tale of panda satire (with pictures, no less!) by signing up for my mailing list! I will send out the link and secret password to the page: From Pandapiphany to Princess Pinky: Finding my Inner Panda. If you are already on the mailing list, I will be sending out a newsletter next week, and if you aren’t, you’ll have time to sign up for it. This is separate from the regular blog posts, and is the second sign-up box on the upper right column headed: Get Even More Pandas and never fear, you won’t be inundated with daily or even weekly emails. Honest.

Okay…with no further folderol….

Hey! That’s not fair!!!!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

On the Campaign Trail

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Editors note: Pinky has been sneaking around (unknown to her sainted mother) out on the campaign trail, and if The Very Bob T. Panda doesn’t get out there, even his three loyal supporters might go looking elsewhere with their votes.

I have not said much about the actual campaign atrocities that have been going on out there. It makes me too worried for our future so instead, I am concentrating on Bob and Pinky’s shenanigans. Much better for my blood pressure, and besides, Andy Borowitz does a much better job than I ever could (and he even snuck in a picture of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau with a couple of pandas!)

But now, it’s time for things to get going panda-a-pando over at the Panda Chronicles debate headquarters.

“I thought I had until November.” -Bob T Panda

Pinky is ready to get down and get dirty.
Are you?

Be the Bear,
Bob T Panda

Celebrate Wu

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I love Mr. Wu, San Diego’s junior panda in residence. Because Mr. Wu turns four years old this summer, he will most likely be moving to China sometime this fall or winter, I thought we should celebrate Wu and all things relating to the Wu self today.

I know, I know! I hate the idea of his leaving us too, but it is part of the deal we make with China in order to have pandas come and live here. And because Mr. Wu’s dad, Gao Gao, was born in the wild, Wu is of particular value as the future father of more little pandas. So we must shower him with love and affection while he is here, and try not to cry too much until then.

So let’s have a Fabulous Furry Friday salute to Mr. Wu!!!!

Mr. Wu’s first appearance on The Panda Chronicles

Thank you all for coming! Buy my book here!

Yo ho ho and a bottle of BooBeer!

While Mr. Wu was the only cub in the U.S. we had Mr. Wu Wednesday!

“You are right and Wu is wrong…I’ll never do it again, mommy.”

where happy pandas eat bamboo, oh why, oh why, can’t…Wu?

And who could forget the exciting story of The Wizard of Wu? And remember, you can read all of the Mr. Wu stories in Book 4 of the Panda Chronicles: The Book of Wu! Get it here!

Have a great weekend, everyone! More pandas coming your way on Sunday!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

It’s International Panda Day!

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No, really…it really is International Panda Day! Who knew? Um…well, someone told me it was and while I have been trying to find some corroborating evidence that it IS in fact, International Panda Day, how about we just say that it is and have a panda party to celebrate!

Huzzah! it’s International Panda Day! Let’s have some cake!!!!!

Um...what cho doing wif dat hammer, pinky?

Um…what choo doing wif dat hammer, pinky?

And if you are done celebrating, why not head over to the nice folks at Pandas International and check out goodies in their store. All the purchases there help provide support for pandas. I mean real pandas. Because, without pandas, there could be no panda satire!

Meanwhile back at The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire, things are heating up on the election front, Bubba gets cuter day by day, and the Meihem twins are hanging out and being about as adorable as two teenage pandas can be.

I hope everyone whose clocks changed for Daylight Savings time has adjusted. It’s only an hour, but it throws me off for weeks, it seems.

And if you haven’t signed up for my newsletter mailing list, you might want to think about doing that. There is a sign up form on the top of the righthand column. I know I have not sent out very many newsletters, in fact it’s probably been 6 months since the last one. Oopsie. My bad. But I just discovered how to make a secret password protected page here, and I am only going to send the password to people on my mailing list. How do you like them apples? I plan to put fun stuff on there, and maybe only leave each page up for a couple of months. We’ll see how it goes. I hope to get a newsletter out sometime next week, so you have a little time to put your email address in the little box that says: Get even MORE Pandas and Powered by Mailchimp at the bottom of the box. At the rate I send out newsletters, I’ll hardly be a nuisance at all, and I swear on the deluxe size box of cuppycakes that I will never share your email address with anyone else.

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

Su Lin the first. From a a personal photograph that found it’s way to me.

Pinky Sez…

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Being the ever attentive big sister, Pinky has offered to teach baby Bei Bei Bubba Brother, a new game…called…Pinky Sez…

Don’t you wish you had such a caring older sibling?

Yeah, me neither.

How IS this different from Pinky’s normal bossiness?

It is a wonder that Mei Xiang’s fur is not turning gray! But I think Bubba is beginning to catch on to his big sister’s manipulations. He can’t quite resist the temptation of frosting, though. For now, Pinky has the upper paw.

And if you haven’t read this story by New Yorker writer Robin Wright already, take a few minutes to read it now. It might help you understand why we’re all so crazy for Washington DC’s newest superstar (panda). (Not to mention help you distract yourself from other DC shenanigans.) It is a lovely look at pandas, from the viewpoint of a lifelong panda fan.

Bubba would also like to point out that according to this article, twice as many people have viewed Bubba on the panda cam in his first four months, than they did Pinky during a similar time period. Watch out Robyn. Pinky might be able to find your address. #Don’tMakePinkyMad

Be the bear,
Bob T. Panda

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

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With news of a state dinner for the folks from Canada at the White House, following quickly on the heels of the photograph of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with two adorable panda cubs on his lap, It’s anyone’s guess who’s coming for dinner!

Are Pinky and Bubba invited as well? I mean, now that the PM and the Toronto Twinkies are such good buds, I can’t believe he’d leave them at home! and will Mei Xiang and Tian Tian be invited as well? Seems like the PM might be the sort who has permissive attitudes towards pandas and would let them get up to any number of hijinks, and where Pinky is concerned, well, you just can’t be too careful!

The long, dark tea time of the soul….

You can lead a bear to culture, but….

And this would not be the first time that pandas attended state dinners at the White House…

I am only making some of this up. copyright 2012 -A. Belov

And if you are not aware, this weekend we leave Daylight losing time behind, and get up one or earlier…or is it we go to bed later…Fall forward…spring back…heck…I don’t know. Let’s just have a pajama day and sleep in!

Bob explains daylight savings time to the panda kindergarten

spring back, fall forward?

And if you haven’t bought any stuff with pandas on it lately, now is a good as time as any!

Be the Bear!
Bob T Hey Why Not Vote 4 Bob Panda